1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for creating an illuminated waterfall.
2. Description of Related Art
Lighted water displays are very popular and generally known in the art. For example, illuminated water fountains are provided by means of light sources which are generally hidden from view and are projected onto a waterfall. However, the quality of the visual effects of such lighted displays, especially multi-colored displays, is diminished due to indirect lighting which impairs the view of the lighted waterfall. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,811 to Fraser et al. depicts a conical reflector to illuminate and create rainbows in a wall of falling water.
The above-related prior art do not provide a combination of a waterfall device with emitting and enhancing lighting means incorporating light emitting diode (LED) technology inside a waterfall vessel to illuminate the non-turbulent stream of water exiting the vessel to form an illuminated waterfall. Further, the present invention provides an apparatus which can sequentially change the color displayed. One prior art patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,429 to Yasuo, depicts an apparatus using combined LED technology, fiber optics, and sensors in a water discharge system wherein the water is illuminated by an LED whose color changes in accordance with values sensed by a sensor in the water stream. However, this prior art patent does not provide for an array of different color LED lights within the waterfall vessel which is controlled to sequentially light and thereby sequentially illuminate the water exiting a waterfall vessel with different colors so as to give the exiting water the appearance of changing colors at periodic intervals.